AMG Wheel Corrosion - Warranty Repair

[356speedster]

Hi all. I have a 2019 C63S with the upgraded forged lightweight wheels (19/20 staggered, matt black with polished edge lips). I've owned the car from new and only done 7,000 miles in that time.

Last summer I noticed some corrosion appearing on the polished edge of one of the wheels and reported it to my local dealer. Due to Covid and me forgetting to chase them up, they didn't get the car until January.

Their feedback is that they won't warranty the corrosion and state it's driver damage - however, there is no such damage to the wheels at all. The bubbling seems to be spreading from the area where the polished lip joins the black painted centres and while it's only a c.6-7mm blemish, that's only going to get worse. I disagree that I should be expected to buy a new wheel, as the dealer has stated.

What I wanted to know is whether anyone else has had a similar issue with thier new cars and if they've had any success with getting MB to warranty repair / replace wheels? Thanks folks.

 

[kianok]

I’ve had a full set replaced in the past without issue for the same reason.

More recently however I was met with a flat refusal when the same occurred on my current car.

The curse of diamond cut wheels!

 

[Ted]

I had serious corrosion on a replacement AMG alloy on my clk (damaged by the previous owner) after 18 months, all the others were totally corroded but it was six or seven years old at the time.
The front wheels on my r172 slc were both showing lots of corrosion around the centre after 18 months - it had only ever had work done by Mercedes and was on the original tyres.
Never tried to claim as posts on here suggested it would be a waste of time.

Fwiw the ones on my Kia Picanto corroded after the first winter and were all replaced without quibble - they stayed perfect in the rest of my ownership. The ones on my Lexus are perfect after 3 1/2 years.
All the above had diamond cut faces.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Hi all. I have a 2019 C63S with the upgraded forged lightweight wheels (19/20 staggered, matt black with polished edge lips). I've owned the car from new and only done 7,000 miles in that time.

Last summer I noticed some corrosion appearing on the polished edge of one of the wheels and reported it to my local dealer. Due to Covid and me forgetting to chase them up, they didn't get the car until January.

Their feedback is that they won't warranty the corrosion and state it's driver damage - however, there is no such damage to the wheels at all. The bubbling seems to be spreading from the area where the polished lip joins the black painted centres and while it's only a c.6-7mm blemish, that's only going to get worse. I disagree that I should be expected to buy a new wheel, as the dealer has stated.

What I wanted to know is whether anyone else has had a similar issue with thier new cars and if they've had any success with getting MB to warranty repair / replace wheels? Thanks folks.

I had the same problem (corroding from the middle). I was 1 year out of warranty. Took it as far as the Ombudsman who ruled that as it was out of warranty, I had no claim. This is clearly a manufacturing fault that MB is getting away with.

If you are in warranty fight them.

 

[bob6600]

I would take it all the way. If there is no damage, they cannot blame it on the driver. It's really poor service from any manufacturer towards a customer who has purchased one of their more expensive/higher model cars or indeed towards any customer but unfortunately the warranty departments job is to deflect as many claims as possible. Speak to

Sales or Service Manager
Dealer Principle/Manager
MB UK
Ombudsman

in that order

 

[markjay]

Or try another dealer first... given that it seems to be pot luck (not just the alloy wheels, but MB warranty claims in general).

 

[kianok]

Or try another dealer first... given that it seems to be pot luck (not just the alloy wheels, but MB warranty claims in general).

The dealer who rejected my claim encouraged me to do just that. It was almost as though they couldn’t be bothered dealing with it.

Unfortunately I had other things going on at the time so never got round to it and now have scabby wheels!

 

[Grumpydriver]

I had the same problem (corroding from the middle). I was 1 year out of warranty. Took it as far as the Ombudsman who ruled that as it was out of warranty, I had no claim. This is clearly a manufacturing fault that MB is getting away with.

If you are in warranty fight them.
View attachment 123365

Would seem to have been caused by the centre cap breaching the lacquer seal when either fitted or refitted. Once the seal has been broken, water gets in and corrosion (can’t recall the specific name of this particular corrosion) then spreads under the lacquer. Diamond cut wheels seem to be particularly prone to this. If keeping a car outside the warranty period, I always check very closely prior to the expiry so that I can make an early claim. Never had a problem with any of the Mercs that I have owned but the BMWs are a different story, however, BMW have always been very good and once the corrosion has been noted the wheels have been replaced foc. Don’t know why they don’t just offer a recondition but they haven’t. I have been fortunate enough to have been able to buy new cars for more than 40 years now and since then haven’t kept a car for longer than 5. Have run a BMW and a Merc for over 20 years and they have all left me in tip top condition, especially the alloys, as I check really carefully prior to sale. No saint, believe me, but I wouldn‘t be able to sleep if I thought that I passed on a duff one. Stupid maybe but……

 

[sgregory124]

In my experience, the dealers couldn't give a squirt of p*ss about wheel corrosion like that. I had exactly the same issue with Audi on an A6 I used to have, 3 out of 4 wheels had been badly refinished prior to me buying it (second owner) - corrosion set in rapidly. Spoke to both the supplying dealer in Nottingham and one other, supplying dealer flatly refused to do anything, other dealer claimed the best they could offer was a chargeable repair and Audi UK seemed utterly toothless when it came to persuading them otherwise.

Gave up in the end.

Luckily, the wheels on my current car are corrosion free (at the moment), but I now only clean them by hand, with PH neutral cleaner and seal them after with hybrid ceramic wax - seems to be keeping the white worm at bay for now.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Would seem to have been caused by the centre cap breaching the lacquer seal when either fitted or refitted. Once the seal has been broken, water gets in and corrosion (can’t recall the specific name of this particular corrosion) then spreads under the lacquer. Diamond cut wheels seem to be particularly prone to this. If keeping a car outside the warranty period, I always check very closely prior to the expiry so that I can make an early claim. Never had a problem with any of the Mercs that I have owned but the BMWs are a different story, however, BMW have always been very good and once the corrosion has been noted the wheels have been replaced foc. Don’t know why they don’t just offer a recondition but they haven’t. I have been fortunate enough to have been able to buy new cars for more than 40 years now and since then haven’t kept a car for longer than 5. Have run a BMW and a Merc for over 20 years and they have all left me in tip top condition, especially the alloys, as I check really carefully prior to sale. No saint, believe me, but I wouldn‘t be able to sleep if I thought that I passed on a duff one. Stupid maybe but……

Caps have never been off. Tyres are still originals. Corrosion of alloys is not something I’d have thought about.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I would take it all the way. If there is no damage, they cannot blame it on the driver. It's really poor service from any manufacturer towards a customer who has purchased one of their more expensive/higher model cars or indeed towards any customer but unfortunately the warranty departments job is to deflect as many claims as possible. Speak to

Sales or Service Manager
Dealer Principle/Manager
MB UK
Ombudsman

in that order

I got to the ombudsman. They investigated .....”out of warranty ......too bad”. Suggested that I accept the MB offer of me paying 50% for 2 new wheels ~£1300 & MB keep the old wheels. Would also not entertain MB giving me £1300-00 and I sort myself out.

 

[bob6600]

I got to the ombudsman. They investigated .....”out of warranty ......too bad”. Suggested that I accept the MB offer of me paying 50% for 2 new wheels ~£1300 & MB keep the old wheels. Would also not entertain MB giving me £1300-00 and I sort myself out.

Out of warranty is a tricky one, usually an easy get out clause for the manufacturer. Good will gesture is the only help you are likely to get in this case. Reason being that it opens a can of worms and sets a precedent. If one is 2 months out of warranty, then how about a month more or another month after that? Unless there is a manufacturing default, that's different.

 

[rayaans]

Its usually caused by stone chips or acidic wheel cleaners. You can thank the local carwash for that.

The other instances Ive seen it in, is when the centre cap rubs on the pain removing a layer and allowing water to get in

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Out of warranty is a tricky one, usually an easy get out clause for the manufacturer. Good will gesture is the only help you are likely to get in this case. Reason being that it opens a can of worms and sets a precedent. If one is 2 months out of warranty, then how about a month more or another month after that? Unless there is a manufacturing default, that's different.

Yea fully aware of the ramifications of goodwill, expired warranty etc.

Unfortunately these days owners of BMW and MB are no longer considered valued clients. In the 90s I had 3 series BMW 325 which got replaced by a 525i (for a nominal sum with equivalent trim & accessories) which in-turn, was replaced by another 5 series (no charge). It all started with the fact that the 3 series spent 6 weeks in my first 9 months of ownership in workshops and BMW valued still valued their customers in those days.

IMO untouched wheels corroding from the hub out is very much a manufacturing defect! Don’t expect the alloys on a ~£82K car to be corroding after 3 years.

 

[bob6600]

I agree, it's poor for wheels to need refurbishing after 3 years if there is no damage by the user. The shelf life is so short with diamond cut wheels, especially in this country. I would have thought by now that a coating could be applied by the manufacturer similar to lacquer to prevent this from happening. But, they all just need it to last past the warranty date. As for the OP's case, 7,000 miles is a joke!

 

[sgregory124]

Interestingly, the wheels on my car are virtually corrosion free. The car has done 28k and only the front drivers side wheel has any sign of worm - which was there when I bought it at 15k in July 2020 and it hasn't really progressed under my ownership. The damage is right on part of the rim and looks to be from a ham fisted tyre fitter.

Unless my wheels have been refinished or were replaced, I can only put the lack of corrosion down to me using PH neutral cleaner and sealing them after every wash with hybrid ceramic wax. I don't baby my car either, it gets driven rain or shine, salt on the road or not. Maybe its a batch thing or a change of manufacturing process etc?

 

[SpikyMikey]

Interestingly, the only sign of corrosion on my C Class alloys is around the centre caps and my wheels aren't even diamond cut.

 

[geoffus]

My refurbished diamond cut wheels are going the same way after 2 years, its a great shame as they looked sparkling when I bought the car. Never been to an acid £5 hand wash as I always clean my own car.
Is it because no one can get a decent lacquer coat to adhere to diamond cut alloy ?

 

[suty455]

Caps have never been off. Tyres are still originals. Corrosion of alloys is not something I’d have thought about.

You may not have had them off , however if you look at the centre caps there are what look to be pry marks on the edge, this is probably the reason for the corrosion. Time for a chat with the dealer principle I think or MB in Germany thats very poor on a 7k car.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

You may not have had them off , however if you look at the centre caps there are what look to be pry marks on the edge, this is probably the reason for the corrosion. Time for a chat with the dealer principle I think or MB in Germany thats very poor on a 7k car.

It is the light/photo/dirt. Everything is pristine except for the corrosion (on 3 wheels, 1 has no corrosion).

As mentioned, the motoring Ombudsman investigated and sided with MB.

I wish the car had only cost £7k.